A speeding truck collided head-on against the car in which he was returning with his entourage from Pasumpon.

Two other AIFB functionaries -- State unit president V P Muthuramalingam (66) and party organising secretary Usilai Rajan (46) -- also died in the accident, while eight others, including AIFB Member of Parliament Debabrati Biswas, Member of the Legislative Assembly Santhanam were injured.

The AIFB leaders, who had gone to Pasumpon village in Ramanathapuram district last evening in three cars, paid respects at the Muthuramalinga Thevar `samadhi' and later addressed a public meeting. Ambalam was `brought dead' to the Meenakshi Mission Hospital here.

Biswas, who is undergoing treatment at , told reporters that when the cars were returning to Madurai, a speeding truck collided against the second and third car in theconvoy, while the first car crossed the Kamarajar Salai around 12.45 a.m.

Ambalam and others, who were travelling in the third car, suffered serious injuries. Biswas added that he too was thrown out of the car in the collision and suffered bruises and muscle cramps.

Ambalam, Muthuramalingam, Usilai Raju, driver Valaiapathi and other injured were rushed to the Meenakshi Mission Hospital and Government Hospital.

According to Meenakshi Mission Hospital sources, District Collector A M Kasiwiswanathan rushed to the General Hospital where post-mortem was performed and the bodies handed over to the relatives early this morning.